Dragon Tales
by FallenXMidnight
Summary: Her family probably though she was hiding another stray and injured animal again, but what would they think if they found out that it was actually a boy with wings! AU/ Oneshot: Murtagh X Aranel OC . Hinted Eragon X Silima oc
1. Contents of CHAPTERS!

_Dragon Tales ( Inheritence Cycle/ Ranger Anthology) _

Lol, to clear up the confusion of which one shots are which XD.

**Stories**

**1**........................................._ Snow Kisses _

_(Murtagh X Aranel - High school AU) _

_ "Stupid Mistlie Toe."_

**2**.......................................... _Guardian : Part 1 _

_ ( Murtagh X Aranel - Supernatural AU)_

"

**3.** ..................................... _ Father _

_ ( Morzan and Murtagh centric - AU ) _

_ "I hated him. I hated my old man." _

**4 **...................................... The Grotto

( Murtagh X Aranel. - Supernatural AU)

(COMING SOON!!)

**5**. ..................................... Moving ( Eragon X Silima Au)


	2. Snow Kiss

**once again outof total bordom/ writers block i give you another eragon one shot. (hopefully this one is spelled better) If you guys want i'll make a anthalogy. (i have a couple ideas like the basic AU and past stories. Like Selena and morzan) **

**I don't own the inheratice seires or naruto (no matter how much alike Murtagh and Sasuke are) Aranel and anyother names you never saw in the book are mine.**

Snow Kisses

"I said leave me ALONE!"

A brown haired teen yelled and another dark haired teen of the same age before stomping down the hall away from them.

"Oh come-on Aranel lighten up." the dark haired boy said cooly folowing after her.

Aranel glared at him before snarrling " Are you deaf or something? I said **scram"**

"Hn"

"Screw off Murtagh. How about you acutally go to class for once huh?"

Murtagh didn't respond to her growl. He just reached into his uniform jacket's pocket and pulled out a pack of ciggarets.

The Shur'tugal Acadamey uniform was clean and cut. The boy's uniform was a black blazer with the school's crest on the right chest pocket and sleve, a white botton up shirt under it, and tie which could be either the color red, green, or blue. There was also the choice of a vest of the same color. The girl's was simalir. The only diffrence was they wore plaid skirts of red. blue , or green (with a matching tie and/or vest) and black knee high socks with black shoes. When the weather was warmer the students oppited for the summer uniform. The same pants. skirts, shoes and socks, but they lost the jacket and the long sleve shirts for short sleve tops with a tirm in their color choice (of the three color of course)

Aranel's outfit had a blue pleated skirt and tie along with the sliver pentdant around her neck. While Murtagh had a red tie and the whole bad boy look going on. You know untucked shirt with the 3 top bottons undone so you could see the black rock tee under it, lose tie, a necklace either from Spencers or Hot Topic. It was a steel dragon with a red stone cluched in one of its talons dangling from chain around around his well muscled neck. A number of pericings on one ear and a few guy rings on his hands. He also had a black messanger bag with a grapich of Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto. (Aranel was the one who bought it for him for his 18th birthday last July. When he asked she just said she thought the two of them were very similar. Which is the same stupid excuse he gave her when he was her hoody with Sakura Haruno on the back for **her** 18th birthday two months later. Altho she loved that hoody to death)

Aranel smacked the cigeret out of his hand the moment she saw it. Which gave earned her a glare from Murtagh.

"You know I hate it when you do that."she deadpanded.

"So? Its **my** lungs" he shrugged.

She squeared her shoulders, "Well sorry for caring about your health." Aranel growled before turning on her heels and walking away again, while hosting her jansport book bag higher on her shoulder. It was athe new black and white skulls with roses print. She heard Murtagh walk to catch up with her but she just put on hrer headphones that were hanging around her neck and turned on her i-pod. A few moments later the lryics of 'Crush Crush Crush" by Paramore was belting in her ears. Effectingly blocking everything out, espicaly a ceartian dark haired-hazel eyed pest. Aranel had her goal set in her mind:

_'get to art class and ignore said pest'_

Both parts were going acording to plan. She could see the art hall beyond the courtyard. She just had to go out the door and run the few feet to the building and she was home free! But when she opened the door that lead to the courtyard her face was hit with a blast of cold air and snoe flakes.

The courtyard, like the rest of the schoo, was decorated for the holidays coming up next week. Lights and ornoments hung from the bear branches while tinsle, light, and such decorated the small evergreens along the sides of the buldings. Emrald reefs with scarlet bows hung on the door and classroom windows and small lanters lined the stone walkway and circled the two iced over ponds. That wasn't was shocked Aranel. It was the fact the it was SNOWING!

Okay it wasn't that much of a surppise since it was the middle of december and it had been snowing for the past week. It was the fact that it was snowing much heavier than it was when she came into school! That and the oh-so-smart Aranel left her nice warm coat back in her locker, which was coventialy located at the other side of the school in jipip.

"Dam" she cursed softly.

Her only escape route blocked. She could take the overpass like a normal person, but she was allready late for class. (Thanks to certian someone) That and it would give you-know-who even more time to bug her.

While she tired to think of hundreds of ways to get out of this someone was leaning over her looking out into the snow.

"That storm came in quick." Murtagh said. " I don't think you'll be going out that way."

Aranel didn't look at him.

"Watch me"

Okay whoever had the great idea of making girls wear skirts all year round was a a deadman if Aranel finds him. She took one step outside and she wore her legs got frostbite instenly. The cold air swept up her legs and it wasn't plesent at all. Still she somehow managed to get her legs to move forward and twords the art hall's doors. She had one hand clutching her blazer closer to her body and the other contsintly swatting her hair out of her eyes.

_'Great idea Aranel. Lets cross the courtyard to get rid of Murtagh- OH! and lets get half frozen in the snow storm along the way!'_ she thought sacasticly. ' _well at lest he won't follow meeEEE?'_

Her thinking was cut off when two stong arms picked her up suddnely. Which caused a cute but embarssing "meep" to come form her lips.

"Your stupid you know that."

Oh god she knew that low, sexy, hot -Wait a sec!! BAD ARANEL BAD! Okay ,she knew **that** voice anywhere.

Aranel looked up to see Murtagh was the one carrying her adn was walking the rest of the way to the bulding.

"H-hey put me down!" she ordered between chattring teeth. Man a nice hot cup of coco sounded so good right about now.

Murtagh looked down at her skepticly. "So you can freeze?"

"N-no. I-I don't need your help."

"Hn"

"Don't you "Hn" me!"

"Aa"

That caused her to stare blankly at him while he manged to open the heavy door and get them in the warm bulding.

"What? Did you decied to apodt Uchiha's lingo?" she asked refering to on of their favortie animes.

"Just shut up Aranel" He deadpanded.

"Not untill you put me down!"

"And what if i may ask are you two doing?"

The two studnets froze and looked over to see a man in his late 50's. He had a hard face and even harder eyes. He was blad but had a ver well matined body under the black sutie he wore. He could easily break you in half if her wanted to. This man oozed the very estice of fear and evil.

"Headmaster Galbatorix" muttered Aranel.

The headmaster gave them a one over. "Do you mind explaining that you two are doing?" he repeated his question with no emotion.

Murtagh's grip tighened on Aranel slightly before he answered. "She spraned her ankle outside when she sliped on some ice." he lied smoothly. "I"m taking her to the nurse."

Galbatorix started at him before giving him a slight nod. "Very well Mr. Adien. Since Miss.Strider has a clean record and is one of our top students I'll let it pass this time." but as he walked by he wisphered in Murtagh's ear. "But I'd watch your steps. You wouldn't want me to tell your father now would we?"

Murtagh winched at his stament and lowly answered a low "No, Sir"

"Good." Then the headmaster walked down the hall and out of sight. Once he was Aranel made a face and stuck her tougne out at him. "I hate that man. He's a tyrant. I hope Professor Brom gets the possion of headmater when the borad makes thier dission."

Murtagh gave small shrug before placing her on one of the benches that lined the wall. " Yeah well atlest he's not a bussiness partner of your father's."

Aranel was mildly paying attention as she looked around the hall. The art building was her favorite durning the winter. The art students went out of thier way to decoreate the bulding this time of the year, you know "artistic expression". Most of this was acutally done by her group of friends and herself. Nassica, Elrond (padothiel's boyfriend), Murtagh's younger brother Eragon,her own twin borther Eldarion and her best friends Padothiel and Silima. Murtagh would show up once in a while, if he deicied too (code for: they tracked him down and dragged him along when they need someone tall and strong to carry stuff).And if they really need help they would bring in the rest of Aranel's siblings. Her sisters Ethirel,and Rinal,her oldest brother Arathorn(who all went to the collage campus) and even Her Aunt Arya (who was the art teacher). Then there was Muratagh and Eragon's cousin Roran.

Gardlands hung across the stone ceailing between the gothic pilliars, (infact all of the buldings were decorated in the gothic style. The joke around campus was. "who need Hogwarts? We practialy live in hogwarts") Gold, silver, red blue and other color balls glimered in the light anlong with fake snowflakes they made themselves. Fake decoarited Chistmas tress srounded be fake gifts and snow lined the wall along with Hanuka and Kwanza tradtional objects and all the class doors had a reef that played a diffrent holiday tune as one opened the door. ( but it kinda killed any try of sneeking in to class late)

"Yeah I feel sorry for you and Eragon. You have to put up with him much mo- HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Aranel tunred red as she felt Murtagh's warm hands run up and down her legs as he knelt on the floor in front of her. She tried to kick him away. "Prevert!"

Murtagh stopped but kept his hands on her expossed legs as he glared up at her. His dark brown bangs falling in to his hazel eyes. It made Aranel's face turn even more red even when he snapped. "I'm trying to get the cerulation back in your legs."

Aranel looked down at her legs. They were raw and red, and startiing to thob and sting from dethawing. Flusterd she tried to tug down the edge of her skirt to keep modest as she relplied "Fine. but no funny stuff."

He snorted befoer muttering "yeah right, like there's anything go there." that earned him a smack on the head from Aranel's art book.

"DAM WOMEN!!"

"I heard that."

A few mintues later Aranel's legs were back to normal and they were walking twords her art class.

"Why are you here?" she asked

"What?" he asked confussed.

"Why are to here? Shouldn't you be over in the main bulding for gym?" she claryifed

"I'll get to it. Besides it just basket ball, I think i preety much own that sport anyway."

"and Football, and soccor, baseball, wrestling, and preety much every other sport in school." Aranel mocked.

"Hey, atlest it don't end up hurting everyone"

"Hey! that whole tennis ball thing was a glitch. Dan beamed me in the back of the head." she arguged.

"Yeah but there was time the racket fell out of your hand, and you hit your own head with the ball when you served. That time in volleyball, handball, softball, which is acutally your ideal sport, batmiton, and lets not forget football, i think Tim is still trying to recover from it." he said counting it off tone his finger.

(AN/ you want to know the sad thing? Those are al based off real things i did in gym last year TT)

"okay i get it! I"m a sports clutz!" she growled.

Murtagh smirked down at her. "Not really. Just a clutz"

They stopped in front of her class room with Aranel glaring at him and her arms crossed over her chest. " Gee thanks" she said before going to open the door but was stopped when Murtagh grabed her elbow. "What?" she asked when she looked back at him but stopped and blushed at how close she saw his face was to her's. "Snow."

"o-oh on my face? umm... i'll get it." she studdred despite herself. But murtagh grabbed her hand when she went to whip it away. Instead he was just staring right in her eyes.Teal clashing with hazel, infact she was preety sure he could see the fleck of green and blues and the ring of amber around her pupil just as much as she the light green and gold around his.

"No. i got it."

Then he kissed her and all her bain function stopped. It was just a sweet, soft and light kiss, but it felt like the sweetest ,softest and longest kiss to her. (which didn't make sense cuse this was her first kiss even at the age of 18) When he pulled away he looked in to her eyes again, his eyes were so soft almost as soft as he voice as a spoke and his touch as he brushed some of her bangs out of her hair.

"Sorry for saying that about your singing ealrier. Your going to do great at the concert tonight."

Then he left, leaving a stunned Aranel beat red and watching him walk away. Then as he rounded the corner back hit the door and she left out the breath she had been holding. But as she titled her head back something caught her attention above the doorway.

"Huh?"

Padothiel, Simila. Eragon, Elrond, Eldrion and Nassica looked up when the door opened and the reef began playing "Christmas Cannon Rock"

They all tried to surpess the smiles as they saw Aranel walk in and close the door beind her before walking over to their table in the back.

"Hey, your late" Nassica said.

"Yeah sorry" Aranel said when she took the seat across from her. "Somethings ..err. came up"

Eragon looked up from watching Silima color in her blue dragon drawing. Like his brother he too wore a dragon pentdant around his neck, this one with a blue stone in it's chest. "How did the rehersal go over in the auditurium go?" he asked.

"Fine. I"m just a little nervous."

"Don't be" Eldrion engouraged his sister. "Mom and Dad can't wait to see you this year. And the dress Elthiriel made you looks fantasic."

"Yeah" Elrond said. "and don't worry Padothiel and Silima will be right there with you."

Silima smiled. "Yep, Your not the only one nervous. Rember we have our own solos too."

"Yeah..." Aranel said.

Padothiel then smirked and decied to ask the question. "So I saw Murtagh over there. Did he walk you over?"

Aranel stiffened in her seat before going a little red. "Y-yes"

Then she felt two slim hands rest on her shoulder and looked up to see her Aunt Arya looking down at her with her bright green eyes and jet black hair. "Did you enjoy our early chistmas gift Aranel?" she asked

Then she playfully glared at her friends. "I should have known not to leave the box full of missletoe out." then she smiled ." But how did you guys know about the snow kiss?"

**There you go! i promise the next chapter of Ranger is coming out real soon! (i just got to finish there dam porjects!!) Oh and tell me if you want me to make a anthogly of Eragon. As for Elrond, and Eldraion (4 ppl who read Ranger and Birthday Blow out) they two of my oc's but they won't be inthe story for a while.**


	3. Guardian

This is going to be a two-shot.

I do not own Murtagh

**Guardain**

"What the?!! UGH GET OUT OF MY ROOM! OUT OUT OUT!!!!"

The bilssfull peace of the house was runied by the shouting of someone clearly of the female spices. A series of bangs and things hitting random surfaces thuded like thunder. Every single memeber of the house hold started at the band poster covered doorway like it was a bomb ready to go off.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! STALKER!!"

The oldest boy let out a low whistel. "Wow Aranel has really lost it."

He recived a slap on the arm from the slightly shorter yet older girl beside him. "Arathorn! Thats our sister in there."

"Still someone has to go in there and find out whats going on" the other girl said.

At the same time they all turned to the last on of their group, also the twin brother of the girl yelling in the room ahead of them. Said boy froze by their looks and shook his head.

"Oh-no. No way! no way in-" but he was cut off by a set of hand pushing him forward.

"Thank, Eldarion for volunteering" Arathorn in a cheerfull tone. " Your such a kind caring younger brother."

"Arathorn, let go of me!!" The younger boy ordered thrashing aginst his older borthers grip as the door loomed closer.

Arathorn let go and jumped back to his other sisters with a smirk. Eldraion sighed in defeat and cast a loathing look over his shoulder at his oh so "loving" older siblings. He then turned toward the door only to come face to face with a Paramore poster overlaping a older Simple Plan one. The ceroded bronze handel mocking him like a gun trigger.

"Dead man walkin." Arathorn muttered underhis breath "..dibs on his CD stash"

Rinal gaped at her older borther. "Noway, I wanted that. He has that limtied edtion "The Cure" album"

Eithridel came between them. "Enough you two. What are you 20 and 22 or 10 and 12?" she reprmaned them " Besides as the oldest, I get dibs on his Cds and Video games."

The bang of the door opening got their attention. Thier blue eyes, ranging from blue-green to a light ceruelan color, snaped up the now open room. Inside the walla were painted a tropical blue like the colors of the waters in the bahama's and the floor was a light honey oak. In the middle of the room stood a girl with light to mid brown hair that just passed her sholder in a black tee and red hello kitty lounge pants. She was holding in both hands above her head a blue and silver electric gitaur.

"I swear you better get out of my room now or you'll be eating a A-G note next you jerk!" she growled at what was in front of her.

"Uhh Aranel?" Eldarion called out confussed and scared at the same time, "What are you doing?"

Aranel looked over her shoulder and her blue green eyes lit up in relfie. She placed down her gitaur and in and insant was hidding behind him. "Eldrarion! Thank god your here!" she siad breathlessly " that.. that thing won't leave me alone!" She pointed her hand right at her bed.

Seeing as thier was no danger(much to Arathron's diapointment. He really wanted those cds!) the older siblings walked foward so they were all crowed in the doorway. The all looked into the room to see was could have freaked Aranel out so much. All that was in the room was a oak desk with a dark blue computer chair, a matching dresser, shelves and a twin sized bed sqeaked between the two windows on a angle so on window was a the foot of the bed and the other was next to the head.All around the room was endless amounts of books, cds. paper and drawing supplies.

"I don't see anything diffrent it still looks like tornado hit." Arathorn siad. Aranel never had a neat rooom. She was almost as bad as her brother's.

Aranel grolwed "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Look there you idot! " she pointed to her bed again.

All of looked towards her bed only to see.

"A PUPPY!!!!" rinal said running forward to pick up the tiny black puppy that was sitting on Aranel's bed.

The other's turned to Aranel with unbelivable looks. "You were acting that way because of a DOG?" Eldarion said.

Aranel was looking at the puppy with a look of shook her mouth opeing and closing trying to form words . "b..b..but but.. He's ..n..not "

Eithridel sighed " Elwing must have had puppies again with out us knowning"

"But isn't she too OLD to have them anymore?"

"Elwing is only 3 years old Arathorn"

"Aww arn't you so cute!"

"I can't belive you yelling at a dog "

That's it Aranel had enough. "HE"S NOT A DOG!!! HE'S SOME KIND OF ..OF... I DON'T KNOW DEMON!!"

The others looked at her for a moment before laughing. "Thats good Aranel." Arathorn laughed.

"Okay, enough fun you have got to get ready for school" Eithridel pointed out before leaving the room with her brother.

"You better hurry or well be late " Eldarion warned her also walking out. Rinal was sitll laughing as she put the black puppy on the ground. "Have fun with your "Demon" dog" she mocked her younger sister before walking past her and closing the door.

"I hate them, I absouletly HATE them" Aranel muttered under her breath glaring at her door.

"Really ?I think their rather intresting." said a cool low voice behind her.

At the sound of that voice Aranel's whole body when stiff. Slowly she looked over her shoulder and the person a glare. There, standing right where the puppy was, was a very handsome young man. He had to be her age if not a year older. He was taller than her too, her chin probally only met his shoulder. He was built almost like Arathorn, lean and you could see the bands of mussle that carved his whole body. Dark Shaggy hair fell to just below his chin and into his hazel eyes. Oddly enough his hair style was alsmost exactly like Kiba's from Wolf's Rain. His outfit was most eniterly black. A black mussle tank top with some weird red design on it with a Black short sleve jacket on top of that and Balck and red fingerless gloves.The bottom half of his outfit was black jeans and boots with 3 belts over laping each other. On one ear was a small silver hoop and a around his neck was a chain with the same symbol on his shirt. Acutaly his whole outfit had a leon//squall type of vibe to it.

Apreantly no matter how good looking he may be it didn't work on Aranel's hate for him right now. "I take that back,. I don't hate them, I hate YOU" she hissed.

The guy just rolled his eyes and he said down on her bed. "What could I have done to make you hate me then?"

Aranel rasied an brown eye brow and crossed her arms over her chest. " How about not leaving me the hell alone for starters." she made sure to keep her voice down this time. She really didn't want her family coming back in. "And what the hell are you?"

The guy smriked and he leaned back with his hands resting behind his head. "As for the last one you take a guess. And as for the first...sorry i can't do that."

Aranel then marched over to him and looked him right in the eye. "I don't care what you are. This is my house bub and i suggest you leave before I go "Haruno" on your ass." She threatened him. And by "Haruno" she was refering to Sakura Haruno from the anime "Naruto" and her beyond human strenghth. It was a inside joke among her friends since Aranel and the Pink haried medic nin shared almost the same personaitly.

The guy still smirked "I have a name you know" he sighed " and so do you. So why don't we exchange?" Aranel still gave him a blank look so he sighed again. "Fine, i'll go first. My name is Murtagh."

There was still no answer. "I' belive this i where you give me yours." he pointed out with no emotion.

"Like hell I"m giving you my name." She said backing up. Murtagh sat up and ran a hand through his hair with irataed groan. "Your not making this easy Aranel."

At the mention of her name Aranel just blankly stared at him. "H-how do you know my name?" She asked.

Murtagh looked at her and stood up. "Of course I know your name." he said with tone that made it sound like that was the stupidest question ever.

Aranel looked at him with wide eyes taking a step back. " What ARE you?" she repated again.

He looked at her with a smoldering look his voice still even and cool as she spoke. "I'm your _koisi _." He then walked forward and was infornt of her in flash. She stepeped back and looked up at him with wide eyes. " And you are my _dhearthár"

* * *

_This is acutally based of some old Irish tale i read about. The two word are acutally Celtic and Gealic. 

Koisi- Guardain

Dhearthar - Keeper

Tell me what you think!!


	4. Father

_Okay I"m not dead see? I've just been really busy, but now i'm out of school. I'm officaly a high school alumni.(sniff i'm going to miss it) Oh btw expect a whole lot of updates,I"m getting a laptop! finally!_

_Oh yeah a shout out to everyone who read, reviewed, and faved" No need to Say goodbye!" I love you all! i never expected such a great turnout! (i was in shock for a good our after I saw i got 20 favs in less than an hour) Yes, i know I had some major grammar mistakes, I take full resposiblity for that. In fact when I re-read it it was like " WTF?! I sound like english is my second launage!" That's pretty sad because it's my native laungage. Anway I"m going to edit it and from no own double check everything. (i finally conviced my mom to let me install word on my comupter downstairs, don't ask) Still I love you all!_

_ Well here's the next installment in the anthology. This one is Murtagh centered. This one is Final Fantasy X influeced. I've been playing the game again (for the 10000000000 time)and while I was listening to Tidus' monolouge I had this idea of Murtagh talking about his dad,Morzan. (and Father's day was this weekend) So I made the Eragon universe AU, again, in a Spria way. _

_Terim - more or less is Tidus' Zanarken with hint's of Luca_

_Ellesmera- Macalania Woods or Bevelle_

_Ceunon- could be Bevelle too, i guess._

_E.M.P.I.R.E - mix of the Cursaders, Summoners, and branches Yevon. (how I came up with what E.M.P.I.R.E ment i have no clue)_

_Well enjoy._

* * *

Key:

_Flashbacks_

Soundtrack: 

I'm still here (jim's theme) - Johnny Reznik (love him X3)

Father

I hated him

I hated him.

I always hated my old man. He was mean, rough and rude. I never got what my mom ever saw in him. Why out of all the nice men in the world, how could fall in love and marry someone like him.

"He makes me happy. You're father is very caring man. He's just rough around the edges, that's all." She told me when I asked her once.

My little brother, Eragon, didn't understand me either. " Why do you not like daddy?" he would always ask while hugging is stuffed blue dragon close to him.

"He's mean!" I would huff.

"Daddy's not mean! He never hurt us or mommy!"

True, he never really did anything bad to any of us, but how could he when he was never home, which I was happy about. Sort of. My old man's job kept him away from home a lot. He's a rider; it's some kind of special armed forces that protect the country. The whole group is called E.M.P.I.R.E, short for _**Evasive Metropolitan Protection and International Relations Enforcement**_. There are three sub-divisions and my father is head of the Fornsworth division.

Eragon thinks it's cool and wants to grow up to be just like him. Me? I'd rather not. I mean I want to be a rider more than anything, but I don't want be like my old man. Besides, he'd just gloat. My teacher, Miss. Angela, asked us that one time in my 2nd grade class. That was the same day I first met her.

* * *

"Class! Class, up here please."

The classroom fell silent as every kid's attention was brought to the front of the classroom to where Miss. Angela stood. She was a young lady, just out of school I guess. She had long curly brown hair that bounced in every direction when she walked and blue eyes. She was weird though, she always wore colorful scarves, blouses of bright colors and skirts with stars and moons on them and she always smiled, but us kids loved her. She may have been weird but she was fun. Miss. Angela was a witch or mage and taught us tones of cool things.

"Okay class I have some good news for you." She said with a giggle as she clapped her hands together, ", you're going to have two new classmates!"

The whole class perked up when she said that, and I that's when I saw the two kids beside her. A boy and a girl, you could tell they were twins. They were around the same height had the same hair, eye color and skin tone. The boy had flat spiky brown hair and had on a black and blue t-shirt with jeans and black high-tops. But it was his sister that caught my attention. She had brown hair too but it barely reached her shoulders and she had big teal eyes like her brother too. She was dressed in a robins egg blue halter-top with a jean jacket over it, a black skort and sandals. She looked rather shy and hid slightly behind her brother.

Miss. Angela moved behind them and placed a comforting hand on their shoulders. The girl looked up at her and she just smiled. "Everybody this is Eldraion and Aranel. They just moved here from Ellesmera."

The whole room was filed with a gasp of surprise. Ellesmera was a city far up north, the second biggest in all Alagaesia.

"All right guys you can go back to you're free time." She told us. "Why don't you show the twins around?"

Moments later the whole class swarmed the two and bombarded them with questions.

"You're from the north? Oh that so cool!"

"Hi I'm Leena, wanna be friend?"

"What did you move to Terim for?"

"Oh my uncle's from Ceunon! He told me Du Weldenvarden woods is so pretty."

"Are you guys twins? That's neat I want a twin!"

"You are a twin, idiot!"

I stayed back and watched them. I wanted to go up and say "Hi" but I was too shy. I just watched as Eldarion and Aranel talked with them and Aranel laughing slightly.

"umm. Hi."

I blinked and realized I had spaced out and Aranel was now standing in front of me. I blushed out of embarrassment for her catching me off guard and looking like a dork. "Hi." I said back.

As soon as I said that Aranel's face seemed to light up like she was relvied or something. She smiled at me and tilted her head. "I'm Aranel, what's you're name?"

"Murtagh."

"What'cha doing over here by yourself?"

I shrugged, I really didn't know myself, but I never really had any friends in class.

"Can I sit with you?" she asked looking at the empty desk in front of me. The desks in the class were grouped into groups of four or five. In my group there were two empty seats across from me "I mean, if you don't mind."

I shook my head and smiled at her. " No."

She smiled again and sat down. "Where's your brother?" I asked noticing he wasn't with her. I was weird for me since when I was home Eragon followed me everywhere. I thought all siblings were like that.

Aranel looked behind her and pointed, " He's over there getting a book or something."

"Oh, so who's older?"

"He is, but only by two minutes. We're both seven."

"I'm seven too."

"Oh cool! When's your birthday?"

"March 3rd." I told her.

She then pouted. "No fair, you're a older that I am!"

I laughed at what she said. "So you're from Ellesmera?"

Aranel nodded. " Yep, it's so much warmer here!"

"My mom's from the north too."

Aranel's eyes then seemed to light up. "Really? Where from?"

"Carvahall." That was a small village up north near the Spine. My mother said she loved when it snowed up there, it was like magic. My uncle and aunt still live there, but we barely visited.

We were like that until later in class when Miss. Angela asked that question.

"So what do you want to be when you grow up?"

There were tons of answers. From merchants to fighters. Then she picked Aranel's raised hand. "I want to be a ranger like my dad!"

That got my attention. Rangers were one of the other divisions of riders they were the toughest one to get into, only the strongest and smartest could become a ranger. The last division was The Varden. Being a ranger was one of my dreams. My idol was Lord Aragorn. He was head of the rangers. Little did I know, his children were sitting right across from me.

"Murtagh what about you?" The teacher asked me. "I bet you want to be leader of the Fornsworth just like your dad."

"No." I said with a frown. "I don't want to be like him at all."

It was only days later I found out my old man would never come back home. A messenger came to my house and told my mother he was M.I.A. She was so upset after that. It was like she broke. I hated him even more then because he had hurt her.

* * *

"Do you really hate your dad so much?"

Aranel asked me the question seven years later, we were fourteen by then, I was going on fifteen. Both of us were sitting of the deck of my houseboat watching the water. Most homes were houseboats in Terim since it was a waterside city. The huge city toward behind us, bursting with life and lights.

"Do you need to ask that? You know that answer." I sighed.

"Why do you hate him?"

The answer came almost automatically "He was rude and mean. He wasn't a nice person at all. Everybody wants me to live up to his standards, to be the next leader of the Fornsworth just because I'm his son."

"Hey, you're not the only one. What about me? My dad's the leader of the Ranger's and the next inline for the leader of E.M.P.I.R.E once Galbatroix retires. I have a lot to live up too. And what about Nasuda? Her dad's head of the Varden division"

I saw her point but I just didn't think it was the same. "But I'm Morzan's oldest son. The spiting image." I said bitterly. That was what everyone called me anyway.

"So, I'm Aragorn's youngest daughter and I'm just like him. Still I'm my own person. Who my father is doesn't change that." She said. "Still, I can't imagine hating my own dad. I wouldn't be able to if I could."

I looked at her waiting for her to continue. "Why not?"

She titled here head to look at the wide blue sky. " Because he makes my mom happy."

When she said that I remembered what my mother had told me years ago.

_" He makes me happy. "_

I had flashbacks of when my old man was actually home. All I could remember was my mom smiling and laughing. She always seemed content when he was home, like nothing could go wrong and everything was right. I remembered once I had heard my parents talking out on deck late one night. Their voices drifted in through my bedroom window, they probably thought both Eragon and me were fast asleep. I got up, looked up and saw them standing by the railing, my mom had her arm looped through his and her head resting on shoulder. They were both watching the sea. My mom was talking to him, I don't really remember what it was about, but I know it made my father do something I never saw him do before.

It made him smile.

"Besides." Aranel continued as she brought a leg up to her chest " If he doesn't come back you'll never be able to tell him how much you hate him."

"You think there's still a chance he's even still alive?" I asked doubtfully. " It's been seven **years** Aranel."

She just shrugged. " It's still possible. You just got to have hope."

Then she did something that really through me for a loop. Suddenly she moved over and hugged me. I was shocked; I didn't know what to do. Man, I could tell my face was turning bright red.

"You know, your father really did love you."

I blinked and looked down at her. Her face was buried in my shoulder so I was positive I hadn't heard her right, but still a small part of me was curious.

"Huh?"

"When I was little, back when I still lived in Ellesmera, your father visited mine a few times. He always said how proud he was of your brother and you." She looked at me then, and I knew she wasn't lying. Her eyes never lied. " He really loved you Murtagh."

Then I remembered what made my father smile.

_"He's just like you, you know. Everytime I look at him I see you more and more in him Morzan."_

_" I know." He said softly and kissed the top of my mom's head. " But I want him to be his own person, not another me. I want him and Eragon to follow their own dreams."_

_"Then I'm sure be great in whatever they do." My mom said cuddling up to him._

_He smiled. " I know."_

A small smile slipped on to my face as I wrapped an arm around Aranel to bring her closer. I kissed the top of her head, just like my father had done to my mom that night.

"I know."

* * *

**Next chapter of Ranger will be up soon.**


	5. The Grotto

**_Well here we go! Another installment!_**

**_I thought since you all are being so paitent about waiting for the next chapter in "ranger" I'd actually try and finish one of dozens of one shots that have been poping into my head. But don't worry, the next chapter should be up by NEXT WEEK!_**

**_Okay a few notes on THIS one shot: Yeah again it's Aranel and Murtagh ( *cough* and Murtagh as a fallen angel again* cough* again, but I thought it would be fitting since Murtagh is making is permenent re-apperenece in Ranger next chapter. This one shot, like in the other one where he had black wings, is also partly based off an Irish legand and this one is a well known one. There are a few references to __Selkie_, which is the British Isle ( ireland, scottland, wales and englands) versions of the Hevenily Madien legend. So of you might know the tale since it was the basis of the very popluar Yu Watase series: Ceres. **

**_It talks about the legend in here, but if you're really interested I suggest you try to find the movie " The Secret of Roan Inish" ( very, very good movie) Again it's just based on the legend and I did modify a few things for the sake of the story. For example the man in the orginal story is indeed a Human , but in here it's a fallen angel. ( aka Morzan.) _**

**_The story doesn't take place in Ireland by the way. It's just some made up tropical island that's a mosh of Capri ( which is where the idea for the Grotto came from. Google pictures of Capri and you'll see what I mean.), Grand Chokmah from Tales of the Abyss, and some culture aspects of Ireland. _**

**_The idea for the story itself came from when I was reading two books. "Hush, Hush"( VERY, VERY GOOD BOOK. And Proves that fallen angels are WAY cooler than be-dazzeled vamps) and the new book in the HOUSE OF NIGHT series;"Tempted_"**.

**Disclamier: I do not own any cameo Inheritence or Lord of the Rings characters with in this story or any of the other one shots. Aranel, her siblings, and Pandothiel and Silima are shared between Ko-toni, Riyu and Me. I also don't own "Jak" either or "Stardust" except for my copies of the game, movie or book Oh I kinda borrowed the term "Eraser" from Black Cat. **

**Warning: This story contains cursing and irish-slang for currsing, I also apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes.**

**Funt facts! **

**Murtagh does mean "Protector of the Sea". It's also a Celtic (Irish) name!**

**The Boom it the lower end of a sail, and it's called the BOOM because that's the sound it makes when it hits your head when you don't dunk faster enough. **

**In this story Murtagh and Aranel are 15, Pandothiel is 16, Silima is about 13-14 and Eragon is about 12-13 ( awwwww!) **

**Even though Aranel and her father are refered to as "**_**Selkies" they are not really 'Selkies'. If anything they are probably just the desendants of another Selkie. (This is more along the lines of the REAL Selkie legand) Selena on the other hand is a REAL Selkie. A actual havenly maiden who takes on the form of a seal and then sheds her pelt to take a human form**. _

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

* * *

The Grotto

(Paring: Arane X Murtagh Hinted Silima X Eragon)

"Morning!" Aranel greeted as she walked into the kitchen. She was answered with the usual half-asleep grunt from two of her older siblings who were sitting at the table. Arathorn, her older brother, was mindlessly munching away at a piece of toast while his wild bed-head, brown hair stuck up all over the place and Riniel let out a yawn and continued to blink in a daze.

Her mother and eldest sister, Ethirel, on the other hand were up and making breakfast at the counter. " Morning. " Her mother greeted her youngest daughter back with a smile. "Is Eldarion still sleeping?"

"I'm right here." Aranel's twin brother walked into the kitchen and snatched his older brother's extra piece of toast up from his plate.

"HEY!"

"Hay is for horses, Arathorn." Ethirel teased.

Ethirel was the spitting image of their mother Arwen. She had the same wavy black hair that fell in elegant waves to around her waist, sky blue eyes, and long elegant build. The rest of her brothers and sisters shared varying degrees of their fathers brown hair; from Arathorn's dark brown to the the twins' light chestnut to Riniel's gold-brown. But the one thing they all did share was the blue color of their eyes – but that too did vary in shades between them. The only ones who shared the same color were Aranel and Eldarion, but then again they shared everything.

"Dad went down to the port already?" Arable asked as she opened the fridge. Unlike Arathorn and Riniel, she was a morning person like the rest of her family.

"Yes, he's going out on a overnight trip. He'll be back tomorrow morning." Her mother then paused as she saw Aranel stuffing fruits and other foods into her water -proof nap sack.

" And where are you going today?"

Arwen's keen mother eyes saw how her youngest daughter flinched quickly at her question before quickly closing the door and flashing one of her flawless " _What-little-ol- innocent- me_?" smiles. Which she didn't buy for one bit. " Nowhere. I'm just going down to the beach today."

Arwen eyed her daughter with a 'that's the best you can do' look, but her lips twitched up in a smile. Aranel was exactly the same as her father. They always had that twinkle in their eyes that matched the sun-lit ocean that surrounded their island and that they loved so very much. " And are you throwing a party or are you going to eat all that food? "

Aranel left out a tiny laugh as she shifted the strap on her shoulder. " Of course not. Pan and Silima are meeting me down there. Well got to go!" She quickly kissed her mom on the cheek and sped out the back door, but not before her mom could see her snag a blanket from the basket of fresh laundry she had just brought inside.

Arwen sighed before turning to her youngest son, Aranel's twin, and bluntly asked. " Is she hiding another animal?" Aranel's soft spot for hiding and taking care of injured animals was a well known fact. There wasn't a time when Arwen couldn't remember her hiding some kind of bird or a cat or dog in her room.

Eldarion blankly blinked at her with the piece of toast hanging out of his mouth before shrugging. " Don't look at me."

"Why don't you just use that twin-esp?" Arathorn sleepily teased.

"Why don't you go back to snogging with Clary?!" He snapped back and then added with a triupthmic smirk. "I saw you two on dad's boat last night."

And with that Arathorn was wide awake and lunging across the table with the full intent of strangling his little brother. "YOU LITTLE- GET BACK HERE SO I CAN DROWN YOU LIKE THE RAT YOU ARE!!"

* * *

'_That was close. Mom would freak if she founded out what I was hiding this time.'_ Arane wasl screaming on her bike down the hill where their house looked over the ocean.

The island they lived on was like something out of dream. Hills of thick emerald green rolled down into the beautiful blue ocean that went on for miles. White stone villas dotted the landscape and the main town curved along the shore line. A floating imperial city of elegant, pristine white buildings accented with blue and rolling water and that glisened like a crown jewel of the ocean. Boats where constantly pulling into and out of the port. White sails dotted the ocean like candles on a cake. One of them was her father's. He was a amazing fisherman and navigator – better than any of the men the naval academy spat out in their pressed and spotless uniforms. He knew every secret the sea had -like he was part of it. It was his friend .

He was what the local people called a " _Selkie"._ One of the sea's children. They had a uncanny gifted talent with sailing and water. They were the beloved children of the sea's and island's magic.

Aranel had that same gift. And she hoped one day to follow her father's footsteps. She also knew first hand that there was such a thing as magic.

"Halloo!"

"Good morning! Heading into town?"

Aranel smiled and waved as she passed the friendly faces of people she had known since she was born who were heading into town before turning her bike off the main road and on to one of the side roads that winded down to the pearl white and rocky coast line.

The shells and pebbles that made up the road crunched under the wheels of her bike as she braked to a stop and got off. She leaned her bike against the natural wall of the cove, slipped off her sandals and headed over to the edge of the water. Aranel raised her arms above her head and streched as she inhaled the calming salt and floral scented air. She then shimmed out of the jeans she wore over her swimsuit and stuffed them and the sandals into her water proof knapsack before zipping it up, making it water tight.

She calmly walked over to the smooth stone ledge where the cove dropped out to the crystal blue water and sat down on the edge She made one last check to make sure the bag was securred on her back and the slid the rest of the way into the cool water till it came up to her shoulder and used the outer wall of the cove to guide her sideways till she came to a opening in the rock. With one last check around her to make sure no one would was around to spot her and become curious as to why a 15-year old girl was swimming around the edge of the cove, she took a deep breath, drove under the water and swam in.

When she came up she was in a open dark cavern where the only light came from the entrance to the grotto, making the water almost seem to glow. There were tons of grottos like this through out the island and the smaller stone islands that surrounded it. In the old days pirates used them to hide their treasure and now they were used as hide outs or get-aways for reckless teens who didn't wanted to prying eyes of nosey adults to interupt their.. ahem '_fun'._

Aranel quickly swam over to the stone ledge at the far side of the grotto , tossed her bag on to it and pulled herself up. She quickly glanced over and saw that the fish trap she had made had been pulled up and the top of the woven basket was open.

"Hello?" She called out as she rung out her hair. "I'm back!" Her voice echoed off the walls, making it sounded twice as loud. Above her there was a large crack where the azure sky peaked through and lit the place up. Ivy and vines of white flowers grew over the edges and filled the place with a light floral scent. It also echoed the sound of the crashing waves outside. The other good thing besides the fact that it lit up the place was the cliff outside was too steep for anyone to climb and come in that way.

Aranel picked up her bag and went over to rock with a flat top where a battery powered lantern was. She turned it on and faced where the cavern went further back and narrowed before widened out to a larger chamber.

" I brought you something to eat." Aranel called out gently as she walked back, holding the lantern in on hand and using the other to feel along the wall. Even though the crack over head was more than wide enough to let enough sun light in, some of the over grown greenery still made it a dim and hard too see. When the tunnel finally opened up to the back-chamber she was a little surprised to see that it was empty- well besides the makeshift stone table, fire pit and the old canopy bed she had been able to smuggle from home.

Aranel lowered the lantern as a worried and ..disappointed looked crossed her face. ' _Where is he? Did he leav-_' "WHAAAA!!!" Aranel dropped the lantern and screamed as she heard something dropped down behind her. She quickly turned around and raised her arm to hit whatever it was when a hand gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

Aranel's eyes snapped open and was about to yell when- but stopped when she saw a familiar pair of dark- hazel eyes staring at her. Well no, scratch that, she actually did end up yelling after all.

"God, DON'T DO THAT!!" The boy dropped her hand and she placed it over her heart as she sighed. " God, I think I almost had a heart attack."

Aranel then looked at the boy who was looking at her with a clear " What the hell is wrong with you?" look. He was about her age, maybe a year older- but then again Aranel did look about two years younger than how old she really was. It was pain now, but she knew it would be worth it when she was older and could easily get away with lying about her age. He was taller than her too, but then again who wasn't? He was about maybe a few inches taller, the top of her head was level with his eyes but in a year or two he would definaly he a head taller than her. He was slightly tan, just like the rest of the people on the island and he had dark brown, shaggy hair that fell to about his chin. He looked like a normal guy who she could've gone to school with and who all the girls would drool after, but there were a few things about this boy that weren't so normal. Like his eyes; they were a deep- hazel color now that peaked out from under messy bangs, but the first time she met him – when she found him lying at the edge of the cove, they were ruby-red, almost blood in color. Then , of course , there were the black wings that grew up from his back.

"I see the clothes fit you." He was wearing one Arathorn's old shirts, a black, zip up t-shirt with a hood and a pair faded but also baggy jeans. "I thought they would, so I brought you some more."

Aranel blinked when he didn't say anything, he just started which was kind of unnerving. " umm, so I see you cut holes in the back for your wings."

_' Ugh epic fail at conversation , Aranel.'_

Again he didn't say anything, so she tried something different. "So where were you?" She then placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. " You didn't leave the grotto did you? I told you not t-" she cut herself off in mid-sentence when he lazy pointed up.

One thing she had discovered about this boy was that he wasn't the talkative type. In fact he didn't seem to like talking at ALL. She didn't even know what his name was, if he even had one.

Aranel glanced up and then back at him with a confused look. "You were up there? But how did you-"

There was scoff and then " How do you think?"

Aranel, who was looking back up at the opening above them, snapped her head back to him and gapped – unable to comprehend that what she heard what she thought she heard. " You talk?!"

If he did, he was certainly playing dumb now because he was just looking at her with a blank look.. again. "Oh, **no**! Don't you go all "mute" on me again!" Aranel fumed and marched right up to him. " I heard you. So come on, speak!! say something!!"

All he did was stare down as her with a raised eyebrow with a "so?"/amused look, like he was getting a thrill out of his. Which he probably was.

"Come-on. I'm not deaf! I. heard. you." She poked his chest as she stressed each word, but when he didn't say anything she gave up. "Ugh! Fine! Go all "Jak" on me! But since you can speak it would have been considerate enough if you finally told me your name- because "he" and "bird-guy" is really getting old."

With that Aranel turned away from him and went over to the fire pit where she sat down on a old pillow and began pulling the things she had brought out of her bag.

"Murtagh."

Again Aranel stopped what she was doing and glanced up to see the boy sitting across from her, indian -style, on the other side of the fire.

"Scusie?"

He grunted, which she took as "You heard me.".

"Murtagh? " She repeated with a little smile. "Is that your name?"

He glanced away, and if Aranel hadn't known any better she would have said there was blush on his cheeks, but nodded.

Aranel smiled softly to herself. " _'Protector of the Sea'_.. that's a nice name."

If Murtagh had heard her, he didn't make any recognition of it. As if finally learning his name had made up for her being angry at him for not talking at all, Aranel continued to go around setting everything up. She talked, while he listened- which for some reason she didn't mind.

Aranel had first found Murtagh lying injured in the cove about a week ago. She had come down to explore the grotto, her own personal hiding place, a place that only her two best friends – Silima and Pandothiel - and maybe her twin brother knew about( Because of their "connection" it was almost impossible for Eldarion and Aranel to keep ANYTHING from each other.), when she was shocked to see a boy knocked out and bleeding by the ocean. Half of his body was in the water and he was half-naked without a shirt on. She would have gone to get help to take him to the hospital, but those wings stopped her. They were blacker than night, and stood out sharping on the pearl white sand, and she knew she couldn't let anyone else find him.

He was on his front and his back was torn open by a large gash that cut right across his back from one shoulder to the opposite hip, it had also damaged one of his wings, but when she tried to drag him out of the water one of his hands instantly grabbed her arm and she was frozen as fierce blood-red glared at her. But when their eyes met, teal ocean-blue to ruby-blood-red, it was like he understood she meant him no harm. In fact they turned so soft, it was almost like he knew her.

He had struggled to get up, and she unfroze fast enough to help him stand and support him over to one of the more hidden parts of the cove. Then after she had dashed into town and got some supplies she bandaged him up as best as she could with her what she knew about first-aid and the healing herbs that covered the island. She hid him there in that corner of the cove for about three days which she when she thought he would be okay for her to move him into the grotto- where he could stay and hide.

Her family probably though she was hiding another stray and injured animal again, but what would they think if they found out that it was actually a boy with wings?!

At first it was really awkward between them. Murtagh would glare and try to shoo her away and was probably annoyed with her, but Aranel would just beat some sense into him and remind him that if not for her , he'd be shark bait. But she was always kind to him, if not curious about him and his wings – but she never preyed on that subject. Then after a while he let his guard down and just seemed to enjoy her company. In fact he seemed to just be waiting for when she would come to visit. Sometimes he would even wait in the front of the grotto for her, like he did the next day.

"I brought you some books and music. Oh, and another bag of kit-kats. You really seem to like them, don't you?" In fact he had wolfed down two whole bags the other day, with out even saving her a piece!

Aranel let out a yelp when he just reached down into the water and plucked her out like she was a bath toy and placed her on the moss covered ledge. "Umm... thanks?" He chuckled and placed one of the towels she decided to stash in the grotto over her head.

Aranel decided she liked it when he laughed. It lit up his face. Murtagh had starting becoming more relaxed around her and even though he still hadn't say anything since yesterday, he apparently loved to mess with her.

* * *

"And then I beamed Arathorn right the head sending his coco-puffs all over the place! Although mom wasn't too happy about that and banished us from the front room for the rest of our lives." Aranel was re-telling about the night before when she , her brothers and Riniel were watching Stardust and Arathorn decided to make a wise-ass comment about Tristran. Bad move.

Ethirel was working her evening shift at at the hospital and Riniel had been in a bad mood since her date had decided to blow her off.

Murtagh just sat there quietly as she re-bandage his back, bent forward with his arms resting on his thighs but clearly interested in hearing stories about her and her "wacked out family". He seemed to like listening to her talk about her brothers, sisters and parents. He also seemed to like her re-tale all the old sea stories her father would tell from his trips. He never mentioned having any family, but from the way he reacted to her stories she could guess that maybe he had a little brother or something.

"Dad didn't come back into day." Aranel told him simply as she put the extra bandages back into the first aid kit and Murtagh pulled on his shirt. She then folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them. " And there's storm front in the area he was suppose to be fishing at. Mom's been by the radio all day."

Murtagh must have sensed her worry because he took her hand and gave it squeeze. She glanced up and gave him one of her famous "_don't worry. I'm right_" smiles, but she knew it seemed weak. "Murtagh.. I have a question.."

The dark winged boy flashed her a look to go on. "Are you... a angel?"

Murtagh glanced at the fire blankly and Aranel instantly regretted her words. " Y-You don't have to answer! I was just-"

" You could say that."

Aranel blinked. "So.. are you going to talk to me now?" She meant it as teasing, but it came out a bit more on the hopeful pled side.

"I would've before, but you just talked too dam much."

'That cocky son of a-!' Aranel glared at him and Murtagh barely had enough time to dodge the first aid kit flying at his head.

"What the hell?! Would you cut it out!" Murtagh yelled as his arms when up to shield himself. "You're crazy!"

"I should've just left you there for the sharks!" Aranel fumed. " It would have saved me the trouble from dealing with a arse!"

"Why are all you selkies so hot headed? I swear your all bi-polar!"

"Yeah, well I could the same for you! At least I don't have a stick up my butt! I though angles were suppose to be all happy and all knowing and.. and ...and playing little harps!"

"I'd rather die before I got caught playing one of those! Besides, I'm a not that kind of angel."

"Then what kind are you?" Aranel asked.

"I'm the kind that kills people, alright?!" Murtagh snapped before glaring at the fire. "I'm an Eraser."

"E..raser?" Aranel blinked dumbly at him, processing what he just said. " You kill people? You're an angel of death?"

Murtagh huddled more into himself, his knees tucked under his chin and his arms folded over them. And in the light of the Aranel could see the tints of blood red in his eyes as he steadily started at the flames. But she could see the sadness in them, the loneliness and the self hate that just lingered under his level voice as he spoke. " Not even close. Angels of Death are sent to put people out their pain and suffering; Erasers are sent to punish the wicked for what they have done and drag them to hell. To erase their existence from the face of the planet. We're nothing but assassins."

His voice low and controlled, but she could tell he was holding back.

"Then your wings.." Aranel's voice wavered because even thought she saw how painful this was for him, she couldn't help it. She was finding out the answers to questions that had been hounding her mind since the day she founded him. "Are you fallen?"

Murtagh glared more at fire as his eyes flashed red and he let out a low-self disgusted snort. " I got them from my old man."

'_His father was a fallen angel.' _"So you have a family? I didn't know angels could you know..."

She couldn't help but softly smile when she saw Murtagh smirk at her embarrassment and finally looked at her. " Have kids? Yeah, they can. I have a younger brother actually. Eragon. We have different Dad's though."

"Eragon?" Aranel raised an eyebrow. " Does your mom have an obsession for dragons, or something?"

"It was my step-dad's idea."

"ooooh. Then what about your name?"

Murtagh smiled at that question. "My mom named me. She's a real Selkie – a water angel."

"She sounds nice. What's her name?"

"Selena."

If Aranel had been drinking anything at the moment she would have instantly spit it back out. "S-Selena? As in the guardian spirit of this island, **Selena**? That's your **mom**?!"

When Murtagh nodded with a ' yeah-so-what?" look Aranel was just about to ready faint. She was talking to the oldest son of her islands' guardian! There were statues and paintings dedicated to her all through out the island. The local legend went that she was heavenly maiden who could take on the form of a seal when on earth, and at times would shed her pelt tp take on a human form of a beautiful young women with golden-brown hair and dark eyes. Then one day a man who saw her bathing in a cove, and who was stuck by her other worldly beaut,y stole her seal skin which would keep her bound to him until he gave it back.

Then it struck her.

"That man in the legend – that was your father, wasn't it?"

Murtagh's face turned dark again. "Yes. He was a powerful Eraser who trapped my mother, raped her, and would not let her go. When I was three years old my mother was finally able to find her pelt and escaped with me back to heaven. But I was stuck with this.**.curse**" He seethed.

"Three? But that legend is over five-hundred years old!" Aranel gapped. Murtagh looked barley older than her. "How** old **are you?"

"In human years? About Sixteen. Angels age differently than humans. About every thirty years equals a year in the life of a mortal. I'll stop aging when I'm about twenty-five/ twenty seven."

"Oh. So is your brother... you know, like you?"

"No. His father is a guardian angel. Just like he will be."

Murtagh was jealous of his younger brother. It was as clear as day in his voice. And why wouldn't he be? In his eyes Eragon was probably the perfect child, the son of two parents who loved each other- not a bastard born out of greed and possession. He would spend his life saving people, not killing them.

"Your father was the one that did this to you , isn't he?" Aranel didn't need to clarify that his father was the one who attacked him and left him on the verge of dying on the coast. The one who had cut open his back .

"He wanted me to join the organization and ranks of his Erasers. He saw that I had promise and the talent to be an elite Eraser, but I told him no. I would never be a puppet or a crazed, power-hungry monster that got a thrill out of killing people. I guess he wasn't to happy about that, because he then slashed open my back with his angel-blade and threw me to earth. Said I was as pathetic and worthless as the human- scum and that I should die like one."

"I hope he burns in hell." Aranel spat.

Murtagh smirk. " Actually, he'd probably like that. He's a fire- user like me."

Aranel flashed him a "you-got-to-be kidding-me" look and was about to snap at him for being a wise-ass, when she heard someone calling her name,

"Aranel!"

Both of there heads snapped up. "Aranel!"

"Eldarion? What's he doing here?" She quickly got to her feet and headed for the pool, but not before turning back to Murtagh. " Stay."

"Woof." He replied dryly like a dog.

Aranel rolled her eyes, ' _Wise-ass._', before diving into the water and swimming through the opening. When she came up she had to wait for her eyes to readjust to the sunlight glaring off of the water before she swam over to the cove.

"Eldarion?" She called out to her twin brother who was walking along the beach. "Over here!"

He walked over to her and sighed. " Jeez, where were you? I've been calling for ages." Eldarion always seemed to worry over her. In fact, back when they were little, he would cry is eyes out if they weren't next to each other. Even now he worried more than their mom if she got hurt or was gone somewhere for too long. As twins they were connected on so many levels. They could feel what the other felt; if they were sad, happy, hurt - which wasn't it all it was cracked up to be. Like when Aranel had slammed her foot against a rock while swimming, Eldarion was the one who felt the pain. Or when He had a nasty cavity, Aranel's jaw throbbed like someone had taken a jack hammer to it. But in any case Eldarion was her best-friend, and vis-versa.

And she hated lying to him.

"Sorry." Aranel apologized with a small smile. "I was exploring the cove. Guess I didn't hear you."

Then he gave her those eyes. You know the one bad thing about being a twin- is that for some reason you're not immune to your own "_you don't trust me?/AWWWW I WANNA HUG YOU, YOU"RE SO CUTE!"_ teal-ocean -blue baby doll eyes. And dammit, like her, Eldarion was a master at it.

"Aranel are you hiding another animal?" He asked. "Come-on you can tell me. I promise I won't tell mom!"

Again, lying to her twin brother **sucked.** Big time.

And then there was a something that she spotted out of the corner of her eye that threated to blow the whole thing wide open. Murtagh was at the entrance of the grotto apparently being very amused by watching her try to squirm out of this net.

'_He's a dead angel when I back!_' Aranel promised in her head ' _IDIOT!_'

Apparently she was staring way too long because Eldarion started to lean forward to see what was going on. Aranel quickly moved in the water to in front of him , blocking his view and said " No. I'm just exploring. You know, looking to see if any treasure from the pirates is still left?" While she was distracting Eldarion she was making a motion behind her back to tell Murtagh to get back in the grotto.

Like her, Eldarion was a sucker for the pirate stories their dad had told them. Along with Aranel's two best friends, they had searched the whole island looking to "buried treasure". "Did you find any?"

"No. Just it sound really awesome in there. The ocean echoes. So what did you come down here for? Is it lunch already?"

Eldarion smiled. " Dad's coming into port right now. He just radioed in."

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her heart when she heard that. " Dad's..."

"The storm just delayed them. He's alright." He confirmed. "Come-on, we're all going to the port to meet him."

Aranel was more than ready to jump out the water right then and run bare-foot all the way into town, before she remembered something,...or someone to be more exact. "Just hold-on a minute. I have to go get my stuff."

Without waiting for her brother to reply she swam right over and into the grotto and right into Murtagh , who was waiting just inside.

"I outa kill you! Are you stupid or something?!" She yelled at him. The water splashing up as she pounded her fists down. "Someone could've seen you!" Murtagh just stood there with the water up to his shoulder and his wings sticking out.

"Is that your brother?"

Aranel snapped out of her anger phase, but his completely from left field question. "Yeah, that's Eldarion."

"He looks just like you."

Aranel rolled her eyes. " That's for the pointing that out, Captain Obvious. He's my **twin** brother, of course he looks like me!"

"What did he want?"

Aranel's face broke out in a huge smile and Murtagh noticed her eyes lit up like the sun-lit water outside. "My dad's alright! He's coming into port right now!" In a fit of happiness, she launched herself at him at hugged him around the neck.

At first Murtagh was caught of guard, but then he brought brought up a hand and stroked the back of head as a smile showed up on his face. " That's good news."

Then as if realizing where she was and who she was hugging, Aranel realeased him and swam back a little, her face a dusty pink color. "Sorry. I didn't mean to attack you like that. "

Murtagh chuckled and shook his head. " That's alright. Here, you need this?" He held up her bag and Aranel took it. "Thanks. Oh, I might not be able to come back later today -but I'll defiantly be back first thing tomorrow."

He rolled his eyes. " It's not like I'm going anywhere."

Aranel glared at him before mumbling "Wise-arse." under her breath. "So are you going to keep talking, or are you going back to Mr- silent tomorrow?"

"I'll talk, but on one condition."

Aranel waited with a raised-eye brow to what that condition was.

"That you smile." He suddenly glanced away and Aranel thought it was cute, especially with the dusting of pink over his cheeks and little frown. 'Aww, I'm making big-bad angle uncomfortable.' "I..it's nice. Your smile, I mean."

That made Aranel smile. "Well, I'll see you then."

It was only when she got home, after her siblings and her practically tackled her dad when he steeped onto the dock, did she find the woven bracelet of Selenias, the little white flowers that grew all over the cove , with little sea shells , sea-glass that matched the color of her eyes , and a single night-black feather dangling like charms in her bag.

Aranel sat on the edge of her bed, softly looking at it before placing it on her bedside table. 'I_'ll thank him tomorrow_.'

But the next day She found the grotto empty. The fire pit had long burned out, and Murtagh wasn't there. And unlike last time- she knew he wouldn't be dropping down out of nowhere behind her.

He was gone.

"You shouldn't be surprised." Aranel told herself with a sad smile. She knew he wouldn't be staying for much longer. His back had completely healed yesterday, leaving only a scar that ran across his back and his wing had healed as well. And she wasn't going to keep him a cage, just so she had someone to talk to.

This was the part she didn't like when she took care of injured creatures. When they got strong enough for to be alright on their own. She hated saying good-bye.

But for some reason, When she saw he was gone- she felt hollow somewhere inside her chest.

She went back for the next to days she went back, just to see if he had returned- but it was still as empty and as cold as before. And that hollowness wouldn't go away.

Her family had seen the difference in her too, but had figured it was her normal reaction to when she had to let all the other animals she had taken care of go. Her mom even gave her the gentle " if you love something, let it go" speech. And Eldarion wouldn't even leave her side, because he could feel what she was feeling. Even Arathorn had eased up on the his teasing.

* * *

On the third day she didn't go to the grotto, instead she was at the port helping her dad unload the cargo, successfully making Murtagh the farthest thing from her mind.

"Aranel?" Her father appeared at the top of the ladder that led down into the ship where she was sorting boxes.

"Yeah?" she called back up.

"There's someone here to see you. Come-on up, he's waiting on the dock."

'He?' Normally she would have guessed it was Pandothiel and Silima coming up to either help or ask her hang out. But the 'he' threw her for a loop. "Okay!" She heard he father tell whoever it was that she would be right up.

Aranel placed down the box she was carrying and dusted her hands off on her jeans before climbing up the wooden latter to the deck. 'I wonder who it could-' But her mind went blank as she was the young shaggy dark haired boy with hazel eyes standing on the dock with his hand stuffed into his jeans.

"M-murtagh?" She couldn't believe it. What was he doing here? And- were were his wings? He looked like a normal teen dressed in worn jeans, a a black long-sleeve shirt bunched up at the elbows, and a unbuttoned red and black collared shirt over that. A sea breeze picked up and rustled up their hair as a lazy smile made it's was across his face.

"Hey."

Aranel had to hold on to the side of the railing to keep her up, because it felt like all the air had been punched out of her and she could only gap like a stupid fish as he easily jumped from the dock onto the deck.

"H..how..did you.. Why are you here?"

"WATCH OUT BELOW!"

Aranel turned around but didn't have time to duck as the boom came hurling over head, which would've knock her head clean off her shoulders if Murtagh hadn't put up a hand and stopped it.

He was leaning over her with a smirk and something twinkled in his eyes- just like the sun shining on the sea. "Looks like you have a guardian angle watching out for you."

At first she didn't get what he meant, but once her brain re-started itself it hit her just like that boom would've. "You mean...." She couldn't find the right words but she knew. Murtagh was her guardian angle. And as if to confirm that, he nodded. " Yep."

"But your wings." She glanced over his shoulder to where they use to stick out and then noticed that her two friends plus another boy were running up the dock to them .This boy one had short golden-brown hair wand was wearing a blue hoddie with a dragon on it.

"Oh my god. Aranel, are you alright?!" Silima, the girl with the strawberry -blonde hair tossed into a messy ponytail, asked.

"Oh those things?" Murtagh pushed off the boom and stepped back. " I can make them go away when I ever I want." He then turned to her friends and the boy and told them everything was alright.

Aranel couldn't help it. " AND YOU DIDN'T THINK OF DOING THAT **BEFORE**?!! YOU IDIOT!"

* * *

_Extra ending:_

"So, that's your younger brother huh?" Aranel motioned to the young boy talking friendly to Silima.

Murtagh muttered something about how being a eraser was a less pain than being her guardian as he rubbed the side of his head where Aranel clobbered him with the boom. "Sadly. It's thanks to him that I was able to become your guardian."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Aranel said dryly.

"I'd rather be fallen if this is this is what it going to be like stuck with you for the rest of eternity. I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

Aranel rolled her eyes, but kept watching Eragon and Silima in amusement. "I wonder what the story behind those two is."

* * *

So I smell a squeal? XD


End file.
